Last updated 13:00 10/06/2010

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change lives

OPINION: It's astounding. His time is fleeting..and

to Rocky Horror Show author Richard O'Brien it seems

madness has taken hold - if only of the New Zealand

Immigration Department.

The renowned British-born author must have felt like

he was in his own B-movie spoof recently when he

discovered he did not meet the criteria to spend his

golden years in retirement on his Katikati lifestyle

property in the country in which he largely grew up.

This was despite his contribution to popular culture

being immortalised in a statue of his on-stage alter

-ego Riff Raff being erected in Hamilton on the spot

where he once delivered conservative short back and

sides haircuts while dreaming up the risque musical

that made him famous.

No wonder he was scratching his head at not

qualifying for permanent residency or citizenship. "I

don't understand," he lamented.

"They build a statue of me and celebrate me as a New

Zealander, but I have to go on my knees and do all

sorts of things, and I'm probably too old." It's not

as if Mr O'Brien's roots in this country run shallow.

He came here from Britain as a 10-year-old and spent

his teens and early 20s in the Waikato and Tauranga.

Despite heading to the bright lights of London in

1964 to seek fame and fortune Mr O'Brien has been a

regular visitor back to these shores and has two

siblings based in Tauranga and his parents saw out

their days there.

No doubt Mr O'Brien is wishing he could do the

timewarp back to before he reached 55 – the cut-off

point for permanent residency status.

He has no-one but himself to blame for his failure to

check the rules.But even if he had it's no guarantee

that he would be welcomed by the Government like a

lost tourist to a Transylvanian castle on a rainy

night.

Immigration policy requires immigrants to be either

extremely wealthy or have the offer of a permanent

job to live here – something that those in the arts

are often not so strong on.

In March Immigration Minister Jonathon Coleman

announced a plan for high rolling retirees to live in

New Zealand, under which those over 65 would be let

in if they had good health and full health insurance

to pay for when age catches up, plus the small matter

of $750,000 to invest, $500,000 in assets and an

income of at least $60,000.

We don't know how much cash Mr O'Brien will have to

splash about on his Katikati lifestyle block but it

seems unusual that those with no link to the country

can buy their way in while those with solid links who

have stamped New Zealand's name on the world stage

have less right to reside.

First though, Mr O'Brien must apply – something Prime

Minister John Key pointed out he had not yet done.

It might take a jump to the left by the Minister to

deliver residency but, Dammit Janet, or in this case

Jonathon, it's surely worth it.